Method for extinguishing chimney fires



Nov. 29, 1932. B.'P. M. LE GOUZ DE SAINT SEINE 1,889,483

METHOD FOR EXTINGUISHING CHIMNEY FIRES Filed June 18. 1929 3 P W). Le60% J l fl el gra UNITED STATES PATENT GFFEE BENIGN E PIERRE MARIE LEGOUZ DE SAINT SEINE, F PARIS, FRANCE METHOD FOR EXTINGUISI-IING CHIMNEYFIRES Application filed June 18, 1929, Serial No. 371,914, and in FranceJune 26, 1928.

My invention has for its object a method for extinguishing fires inchimneys and slim ilar spaces wherein a draught is created.

My invention consists in using a vaporiz- 5 able liquid, the vapor ofwhich cannot feed the fire, such as water with or without an addition ofsodium bicarbonate, carbon tetrachloride, methyl bromide, solutions ofammonia salts and the like and bringing said liquids into contact withthe fire, said liquids being suspended as minute drops in the draught.Thus the liquid is vaporized by the heat from the fire the vaporizationlowering the temperature of the fire. The non-burning Vapor isconstantly renewed by the injection of fresh liquid, and fills thechimney. Thus the burning material in the chimney is isolated from theair. The draught decreases speedily and the chimney fire comes to anend.

As concerns chimney fires which are caused by the ignition of the sootdeposited at a certain height in the chimney, while it is comparativelyeasy to extinguish such fires from above by closing the outlet for thegases or by injecting a suitable material in the flue, it is much moredifiicult to fight the fire from below. This is the case in large citieswhere the regulations forbid the firemen to go on to the roofs forfighting chimney fires owing to the danger arising therethrough.

Sulphur or carbon sulphide is generally made to burn in such a case atthe bottom of the chimney which has been nearly completely closed so asto allow the burning material to be in contact only with gasescontaining no oxygen; but if the flue is too tightly closed, the sulphurwill not burn and if on the other hand it is not sufiiciently closed, a

certain amount of oxygen passes along with the gases which feeds thefire.

My invention provides means for fighting chimney fires from below byatomizing, as stated, at the lower end of the flue, a volatile liquidthe vapor of which cannot feed the fire; the atomized liquid particlesbeing minute enough to allow them to be carried by the ascending draughtinto contact with the burning soot where it is vaporized andextinguishes the fire, by preventing the access of air thereto, thisdraught in the chimney may be created by the fire in the grate or by thechimney fire itself.

The vaporized liquid acts on the fire firstly by cooling it. When theliquid reaches the fire, the water absorbs the heat required for raisingthe temperature to the boiling point; still more heat corresponding tothe latent heat of vaporization (about 54:0 calories) is required fortransforming the water into steam. The presence of steam prevents theburning and if the water contains bicarbonates such as sodiumbicarbonate, the decomposition of such salts produces carbon dioxidewhich cooperates with the steam for completely extinguishing the fire.The steam and gases fill the chimney substantially and prevent the airfrom coming into contact with the burning material.

It should be noted that the water atomized into small particles allows amuch speedier vaporization and thereby a more rapid and effective actionof the non-burning gases than in the case of the same amount of watersent as a bulk on to the fire.

I have described hereinbelow by way of example, and shown onaccompanying drawing a form of execution of a device used according tomy invention for extinguishing chimney fires.

Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the chimney flue showing the position ofthe apparatus used for executing my invention.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatical View, partly in section of said apparatus.

On Fig. 1 the fiue 1 rises above the fireplace 2 and it is supposed thatthe soot at 3 is burning. The apparatus 4 serves for atomizing water orany other suitable liquid above the fire place but below the chimneyfire. The water drops are partly vaporized and for the greater partcarried up to 3 by the ascending draught produced by the chimney fire.When arriving near the burning soot, the remaining water is vaporizedand produces a non-burning atmosphere which causes extinction.

The apparatus 4 may be built as shown on Fig. 2.

Inside the reservoir 5 is disposed a tube 6 passing nearly to the bottomof said reservoir and continued outside the same by a yielding pipe 7 tothe end of this pipe is secured an atomizer 8 of any suitable type.

The reservoir 5 contains the extinguishing liquid, generally consistingof ordinary water which may contain substances such as bicarbonates,carbon tetrachloride, methyl bromide, ammonia salts and the like.

A pressure must be exerted on the liquid 9 contained on the reservoir tosend it into the atomizer 8; this may be provided by a gas such as airor carbon dioxide, under high pressure in a bottle 10 which may beconnected with the upper part of the reservoir through the tube 11 andthe cook 12. The gases under pressure may also be produced by suitablechemicals introduced into the reservoir 5 at the time of use. Thepressure required at 8 may also be obtained through a pump or any othersuitable means.

My invention may be applied in a similar manner to fight fires in shipshaving chimney like spaces.

What I claim is:

A method of extinguishing chimney fires wherein a fire is capable ofproducing a natural draught, which method consists in in j ecting intosaid draught a liquid in such a fine state of atomization that it willbe carried by said draught to the seat of the chimney fire where it willbe gasified by the heat of said chimney fire, the gasification of theliquid efiecting the lowering of the temperature and a zone ofnon-combustible atmosphere at the seat of the chimney fire.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature.

BENIGNE PIERRE MARIE LE GOUZ de SAINT SHINE.

